below Smoky Hollow Falls

There is a very accessible waterfall in Waterdown called Smoky Hollow Falls. The Bruce Trail comes up the river valley with numerous small water drops like this one.

Below Smoky Hollow Falls, Waterdown.

gears on red

There is an online gallery of some of the artifacts in this museum here.

Museum at Kelso Conservation Area.

tic tac toe

These bracket fungi were found at The Petun Conservation Area along the Bruce Trail.
The name of this area comes from the name of the original peoples living here. The main part of their diaspora currently live in Kansas and Oklahoma.
You can find info on the Petun people here.
You can find lots of info on Ontario fungi here and here.

Petun Conservation Area, September 4, 2004.

fern & stone

The Bruce Trail is home to dozens of varieties of ferns. The Sydenham Bruce Trail Club has a page devoted to fern resources.

Belfountain Conservation Area.

green tendrils

"...some plants are actually much more sensitive to touch than human beings! For example, human skin can minimally detect a thread weighing 0.002mg being drawn across it. However, a feeding tentacle of the insectivorous sundew plant responds to a thread of 0.0008mg, and a climbing tendril of Sicyos actually repsonds to a thread weighing just 0.00025mg! Therefore, some plants have a sense of touch which is nearly 10 times as sensitive as human skin!" more at:


http://biology.kenyon.edu/edwards/project/steffan/b45sv.htm

Guelph.

blue parking lot in the rain

"And rain is more than wind's tears. It is the blood of the earth - its downward flow moves through arteries out of the thunderhead of the sky...."
from Song of the Sky by Guy Murchie

West End Rec Centre, Guelph.

long cool woman in a black dress

Speaking of dresses, I just finished an interesting book: Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy, or How Love Conquered Marriage by Stephanie Coontz which contains many fascinating facts - including the revelation that in the 1890's a woman wore, on average, 37 pounds of clothing.

Eden Mills, Eramosa River, December 2003.

Goderich

The beach at the harbour. A beautiful and interesting town - photo buffs might want to check out the library's exhibit of Reuben Sallows' vintage photographs.
Parents might want to take the kids to see the two headed calf (if it's still there) at the Museum.

Goderich.

modern park - Mississauga

These buildings seem to possess the same attraction as polished weapons.

Mississauga.

credit union - Mississauga

This was either Mississauga or some alien planet. The warm and fuzzy 'family' logo makes me think we should have King Crimson's 21rst Century Schizoid Man playing as background music here.

Mississauga.

dancing cedar

At the right time of year you can find various waterfowl and many deer in this small park along the Speed River in Guelph.

Kortright Park, Guelph.

Niagara Falls

I hate to break the spell of this photo but the fact is Niagara Falls is always crowded; turning 180 degrees after taking the shot I faced a throng of cameras dangling like plucked third eyes from the necks of curious people like myself. The backdrop was a large sign advertising the CASINO. That's one small turn for man...

Niagara Falls.

great grandfogger & granddogger

My granddaughter giving a seed to my father.

Walkerton.

red trillium

Most trilliums in Ontario are white but this spring we found several groups of pink ones - and this one small patch of red trilliums - AKA 'wake-robin' or trillium erectum.
Good Ontario wildflower websites can be found here and here and here.

Limehouse Conservation Area.

white trillium

At the Limehouse Conservation Area we came across the widest carpet of trilliums we'd ever seen - thousands, as far as the eye could see.

Limehouse C.A.

bark near Starkey's Hill & Guelph Radial Trail

We went looking for trail which runs from Starkey's Hill (near Arkell) down to the Eramosa River. This particular stretch wasn't blazed very well but seemed fairly well travelled.
If you're looking for info on hiking around Guelph try the Guelph Hiking Trail Club.

Guelph Radial Trial.

Dufferin Quarry - Niagara Escarpment - near Hilton Falls

This may be the largest quarry in Ontario. Check out the map - hundreds of acres - the Bruce Trail runs along the escarpment here between Hilton Falls Conservation Area and Speyside. The machinery is enormous - this sieve or whatever it is must be six or eight stories high. Hiking info available here.

Hilton.

Calico Pennant dragonfly near Esquesing Conservation Area

We came across a swarm of these - maybe 20 or 30 - Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa) dragon flies. More info on dragon flies is available here or here.

Bruce Trail, Hilton.

maple leaf on Bruce Trail in Esquesing Conservation Area

Early June and this stressed looking leaf was already on the ground.

Bruce Trail, Hilton.

vintage car show in downtown Guelph

There's something sensual about the chrome, colours and curves of vintage cars - a feeling you don't get from Hummers or Smart Cars. Not something you'd want to drive on the Kabul to Khandahar highway though. Or pay to fill up.

Guelph.

nonsensible footwear

nonsensible shoes for those nonsensible moments. As kids we called these "toad stabbers". Voluntary foot binding.

Downtown Guelph.

port albert - piping hot

A Scot en regalia stands ankle deep in Lake Huron and squeezes his inflated goat, the sound of which scares the sun below the horizon.

Port Albert.